Who's frustrated with their Fortis Home Energy Report

[my5cents]

For a couple of years I've been receiving (unsolicited) "Home Energy Report" from Fortis BC.

I'm told each month that my home is inefficient. I've mostly used the <delete> key to resolve the issue.

My home is 17 years old, is heated with a natural gas, forced air furnace and a gas fireplace, plus a natural gas outlet for my barbeque. With all the regular insulating and heating efficiencies for that era. Probable there are some newer products on the market, but it's certainly not an uninsulated house with single pane windows and an old gas furnace.

My January report, received Feb 23 stated: "Your natural gas use: Fair, 159% more than efficient nearby homes"

• Your home: 7.8GJ
• Similar nearby homes: 9.8GJ
• Efficient nearby homes: .9GJ

Yikes ! I use 159% more gas than "efficient nearby homes" !!!!!!!!!!

There is an "efficient nearby home" that used .9 gigajoule What !

None of this made sense.

So I called Fortis because I want to buy the insulation and furnace that used only .9 GJ in January.

What am I told ? Oh, no that home probably had another type of heating, like electric and that was a barbeque or something that used only .9 GJ.

I asked: How can you compare a home heated by natural gas with a home that didn't and then say the home using natural gas is inefficient because it used more natural gas than the house not heated with natural gas, that's ludicrous.

So, if you are receiving these reports they are just plain ridiculous, why they are wasting their time, efforts, and costs to create and send out a report like this is a mystery.

[Glacier]

I used 10.0 GJ in January. But in December I used 32.6 GJ!

My house is closing in on 30 years old.

It's impossible to compare with your neighbours. Some have heat pumps and such.

[Jlabute]

That is sure misleading. Thanks for the heads up. That'll teach others to give Fortis their email address.
I use natural gas from Fortis and just recently updated my furnace. My ECOBEE thermostat sends me reports on energy usage.

[Bsuds]

That is sure misleading. Thanks for the heads up. That'll teach others to give Fortis their email address.
I use natural gas from Fortis and just recently updated my furnace. My ECOBEE thermostat sends me reports on energy usage.

Mine comes in the snail mail and get's filed in the Blue bin. If I see it before my Wife does I won't even open it.

The electricity one gets the same process.

[my5cents]

That is sure misleading. Thanks for the heads up. That'll teach others to give Fortis their email address.
I use natural gas from Fortis and just recently updated my furnace. My ECOBEE thermostat sends me reports on energy usage.

I get my bill on line, thus they have my email.

After voicing my frustration on that, I voiced my frustration on their equal payment plan. Their computer calculates what it should be (a correct, 1/12 of a year amount every month) then when the balance accumulates to too high an amount the computer reduces the "equal" payment amount. At the end of the year the 12th payment, the catch up payment is about triple the original equal payment amount.

The next day I got a call from someone doing a survey (call display: FORTISBC), they asked me how satisfied I was with my call to them the day before, the last question was "Considering you recent call to Fortis, how likely will you continue to purchase their product ?" It's the gas company ! Who else am I going to buy natural gas from ?

[butcher99]

I used 10.0 GJ in January. But in December I used 32.6 GJ!

My house is closing in on 30 years old.

It's impossible to compare with your neighbours. Some have heat pumps and such.

duh.. ya... thats why they are more efficient. Switch to a heat pump.

That is not where the problem is with these. There is a government program to help you with costs to bring you home up to semi-modern standards. It is 30 years old so never going to be as good as new construction. The problem is that to get the rebates you have to do a home energy efficiency test out of your pocket, then do the upgrades, then another test to see if they worked then, you get your rebate.
The problem is, the rebates just barely pay for the tests unless you are spending mega bucks. It is easier just to do what you can afford a bit at a time.

[butcher99]

That is sure misleading. Thanks for the heads up. That'll teach others to give Fortis their email address.
I use natural gas from Fortis and just recently updated my furnace. My ECOBEE thermostat sends me reports on energy usage.

I get my bill on line, thus they have my email.

After voicing my frustration on that, I voiced my frustration on their equal payment plan. Their computer calculates what it should be (a correct, 1/12 of a year amount every month) then when the balance accumulates to too high an amount the computer reduces the "equal" payment amount. At the end of the year the 12th payment, the catch up payment is about triple the original equal payment amount.

The next day I got a call from someone doing a survey (call display: FORTISBC), they asked me how satisfied I was with my call to them the day before, the last question was "Considering you recent call to Fortis, how likely will you continue to purchase their product ?" It's the gas company ! Who else am I going to buy natural gas from ?

The equal payment plan was based on last years costs. Energy costs went up. Probably why you ended up balance owing.

[my5cents]

The equal payment plan was based on last years costs. Energy costs went up. Probably why you ended up balance owing.

No, you've got it wrong.

The cost of gas for the year before was $690.

Fortis set the equal payments for the next year at $64 a month. That would have totaled $768.00

Six months into the year Fortis lowered the "equal" payment to $49 a month.

The cost of gas was $811. If they had collect the $64 for the full twelve months the last payment would be the last $64 equal payment plus $43

Paying the reduced amount of $49 for the last six months, the last payment was the $49 equal payment plus $133

In my circumstances it doesn't matter a hill of beans, equal payments would just be a convenience. But I'm sure for someone living on a strict budget, this would throw a wrench in what they thought would be near twelve equal payments.

Fortis picked a fairly appropriate equal payment, then undid it. They knew the year before was $690 they estimated the year in question would be around $768, then set and reset equal payments that would result in a total of $678, (even less than the previous year)

[Even Steven]

Y'all opening your bills? It just gets sucked out of my account.

[Bsuds]

After voicing my frustration on that, I voiced my frustration on their equal payment plan.

I do my own equal payment plan and pay it automatically from my account. By the end of the year usually have a big enough credit that I can skip Decembers payment.

When you add up all the payments I skip that month it pretty much pays for Christmas.

[butcher99]

The equal payment plan was based on last years costs. Energy costs went up. Probably why you ended up balance owing.

No, you've got it wrong.

The cost of gas for the year before was $690.

Fortis set the equal payments for the next year at $64 a month. That would have totaled $768.00

yments that would result in a total of $678, (even less than the previous year)

Actually, I got it right. Fortis got it wrong half way through the year.

[common_sense_guy]

*removed*